title: Acute and chronic pathological effects of sulfur mustard on genitourinary system and male fertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the acute and chronic pathological effects of sulfur mustard on the genitourinary system and male fertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PubMed and Google Scholar to find studies related to the sulfur mustard-induced genitourinary effects and male infertility. Information in the abstracts of non-English related papers as well as those in the proceedings of congresses on sulfur mustard were reviewed as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In acute phase after sulfur mustard exposure, evidences are in favor of microscopic and macroscopic renal lesions, very low androgen levels, and impaired spermatogenesis. Several years following sulfur mustard exposure, the long-term pathological effects vary from the renal function impairment to the gonadal damage, in particular the spermatogenesis. Nevertheless, carcinogenic effect of sulfur mustard on the genitourinary system as well as the prevalence of male infertility among sulfur mustard-exposed veterans in the chronic post-exposure phase is still unclear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sulfur mustard causes both acute and chronic injuries to different parts of the genitourinary system.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yunes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Panahi
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghanei
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghabili
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ansarin
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aslanabadi
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Poursaleh
authors.forename: Samad Eslam Jamal
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Golzari
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Etemadi
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: Mohammadali Mohajel
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shoja
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000506:poisoning*; D015995:Prevalence; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000187:drug effects*; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009151:Mustard Gas